The Manufactured Housing Forums

Can I get some opinions about Palm Harbor homes. Any experiences I should know about?

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I have a new 2001 double wide and have had trouble with factory and dealership from ohio and texas do not buy one keep looking !
I have a nasty FECES SMELL THEY WILL NOT TRACK DOWN HAD THIS SINCE AUG OF 2001

The smell you are talking about is difficult to install at the factory. Check the bath room roof vents to if one of the vent stacks is disconected in the wall...

Are you on a privatge septic tank or central disposla system ?

My daughter has a new palm harbor, it is beautiful, but lots of little things are wrong, and they have had no luck with getting it fixed. Even a letter from an attorney did no good. Mabey in a year the little things will have become big things, then what? I think you should do your homework into what dealer will stand behind his product.Good luck.

If you have any complaints about the performance of your manufactured home that have not been resolved by the retailer where you purchased the home you should contact the manufacturer that produced the home. If the problems are left unresolved by the factory then you need to contact the state agency where you live that administers the federal code regulating manufactured housing. It is important to provide the following information with your complaint: First write a numbered list of all the problems. After you have listed each problem then list the dates and names of the people at the dealership and the manufacturer that you spoke to about the problems. Then list the dates that service men came to your home and what they did during that visit. Also be sure to include: Your name, address and a telephone number where you can be reached during the day The name of the manufacturer The serial number and model number of your home The HUD label number (the red tag on the back of the home) The date purchased The name of the retail business who sold you the home. Copies of any correspondence or contacts with the retailer and the manufacturer to resolve the problem. Make copies of this letter. Keep one and send a copy by Certified Mail Return Receipt to: -1- The Dealership where you purchased the home -2- The Manufacturer of the home -3- The Agency that regulates manufactured housing in your state. You can find the contact information for that agency on our site at www.manufactured-housing.net/saa Please let us know how you make out. Good Luck.

Hi David, thank you so much for your response. Actually the home belongs to my daughter. The first one purchased a Palm Harbor, so when daughter #2 decided to purchase a mobile home, she shopped around and decided on a Solitaire. Well after telling the Palm Harbor story to the dealer, he assured her his product wasn't junk like Palm harbor and they would most certainly stand behind whatever needed to be done. Well you guessed it, same old same old.months later and things only get worse. Now the dealer is being rude and saying it's her problem that her floors squeak and she can't get heat to the opposite end of the house, just to name a couple of things,they have done all they can do.They have made several trips out and things didn't get better. He told her no mh will get good air flow from one end of the home to the other. I could go and on. She has contacted the factory, they only tell her what will make her feel better for a while, then never show up. Seems the dealer can't keep any mh repair crews and so there is noone to send to make any repairs. Oh brother What a racket. She is a single mom who feels she is really being taken advantage of. Thanks for the info, I will certainly give it all to her.

My MH has great airflow throughout the duct work system... and its 25 years old!

Floor creeks are usually the results of settlement. Regardless of ground conditions or age all buildings, site built or factory built, are effected by gravity and experience settlement. The vast majority of settlement will usually happen in the first year.

A very high majority of problems experience by MH owners is due to their homes being out of level. Just a slight amount out of level will rack the home, out of square. Then the cabinets, counters, doors and finish work are most often effected but in severe cases even plumbing can be effected. Most of the time floor creeks can be corrected easily and inexpensively as all that is needed is for the home to be releveled.

I would phone a local MH set-up contractor and ask if they can give you a written estimate, and if they can indicate where and how much the home is out of level. If releveling was included in the sales agreement you will then have some documentation to approach the dealer or builder with. If not then you will know what expense you are looking at to bring the home back to acceptable standards.

Kathy
im wondering about the "FECES SMELL".
check your duct work for holes ect..

i have been called to do service for a problem like this.
a cat had made a home in the duct work!

    While you have your state agency on the phone, ask them if the dealers and movers must carry a bond. If your state requires it, ask them for the board which controls grevences against bonds.

    Most businesses carry the minimum required bond. If they lose one case due to a complaint, there bond is lowered by the settlement amount. In Texas a mover would be disallowed from legally transporting and/or installing homes until their bond was brought back up. It would also affect their insurance and rates.

    Dealers and Retailers are not allowed to sell homes without bonding in some states. In Texas, a loss of bond might result in future sales by the dealership. Few consumers know what boning is. Fewer know the procedure for apeal. If you want the dealer to respond faster - shut him down. You'll be amazed at how fast they can remedy problems.

HTH,
Charles K. Clarkson
Clarkson Energy Homes, Inc.